This application discloses an invention which is related, generally and in various embodiments, to a method for forming a conducting multi-polymer nanostructure.
In comparison to conventional semiconductors and/or conductive metals, conducting polymers have unique chemical, physical and electrical properties. In many applications, conducting polymers are being utilized in lieu of conventional semiconductors and/or conductive metals. Examples of such applications include electronics, optoelectronics, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), chemical sensing, etc.
For devices having relatively large conducting polymer structures (e.g., micrometer and above), such structures are typically fabricated with inkjet printing techniques, mesh printing techniques, etc. However, such techniques are not effective for fabricating relatively small conducting polymer structures (e.g., on the nanometer level).
With a synthetic chemistry technique, conducting polymers have been fabricated on the nanometer level. However, the resultant conducting polymers are typically configured in a random arrangement which resembles a ball of tangled string. Due to the random arrangement, it is extremely difficult to place the individual “strands” in specific locations to form an ordered useful nanostructure.
In general, the above-described techniques, as well as other known fabrication techniques such as scanning probe based lithography, growth in an anodic aluminum template, etc., have not been found suitable for fabricating a conducting multi-polymer nanostructure which has a deterministic structure.